Watcher Report
by dawn341
Summary: Second season story. Joe reports on the events from The Darkness.


Watcher Report by Dawn Cunningham

Disclaimers:

Joe Dawson and all other characters mentioned belong to Rysher. I'm just borrowing them and not getting paid for it.

Do not post or publish this story anywhere else, without my express permission. Feel free to share it with others as long as the disclaimers remain intact.

This should be considered a missing scene or alternate ending to the

second season episode The Darkness.

Watcher Report By Dawn Cunningham

Watcher Report: #DM10231993

Subject: Duncan MacLeod

Date of report: 10/23/1993

I followed Duncan MacLeod to the home of Pallin Wolf tonight-

although at the time I did not know a Watcher lived at the

residence. Richard 'Richie' Ryan was already there. I parked a

short distance away and settled in to watch. I had a feeling this

rendezvous had something to do with the disappearance of Tessa

Noel-MacLeod's lover.

MacLeod went into the house first, but Ryan followed a short time

later. I then proceeded to move closer to the house. I was unable

to see anything through the windows, so I returned to my car. I

turned on my parabolic mike to see if I could pick up anything,

but there was too much interference.

A short time later, Ryan and Noel emerged from the house. There

was no sight of MacLeod. They proceeded to MacLeod's car, though

Noel appeared reluctant and kept looking back at the house.

A stranger (male, late teens, white, hair color unknown, eye color

unknown) approached the pair from the other end of the street from

where I was parked.

Joe Dawson paused in his typing and reached for his glass of whiskey. His hand shook slightly as he remembered what happened next. How could he put down in simple words the horror of that night? In a brief act of senseless violence, everything had changed forever-especially for an Immortal named Duncan MacLeod.

For fourteen years he'd watched the Highlander. Seen him meet and fall in love with Tessa Noel. The couple had been together for thirteen years now-longer than MacLeod had spent with any other woman. He'd watched the Immortal as he did battle with other Immortals. He'd grown to respect the Scot-not only for his skill with the sword-but for his desire to right wrongs.

He'd even met the Immortal-a first for Joe who had taken his Watcher oath seriously, even if he didn't agree with it. They were supposed to record but not interfere. The first time they met, Joe had managed to keep his cool, but MacLeod had kept pushing. So, he had told the man the truth about Watchers-then proceeded to close down the bookstore operation so they couldn't be found.

But it hadn't ended there. Joe had gone to MacLeod for help when Quentin Barnes started killing everyone involved with his trial. It had been a risk, but he'd felt it was worth it. Unfortunately, Barnes had turned out to be MacLeod's friend, Michael Moore. It had been another blow to the Highlander.

How much pain was an Immortal supposed to take? How many of his friends and lovers had died in the past four hundred years? In the past few months alone, MacLeod had lost three friends and a former lover. First had been Gabriel Piton-who lost his head to the Scot. It had been necessary to save a young female mortal, but that probably hadn't made it any easier.

Then there had been his good friend and mentor, Darius. That loss had been devastating to the Highlander. What made it even worse was that mortals-Watchers-had done the deed. Darius' Quickening had been lost forever.

MacLeod had also been forced to fight Michael Moore. His alter ego, Quentin Barnes, had been a bloodthirsty killer. That had been right after his former lover, Linda Plager, died.

And now this. If anything would send the Highlander down the dark path that so many Immortals seem to stumble onto, this would do it.

Joe took another sip of his whiskey, feeling it spread its warmth all the way down to his stomach, and turned back to his computer.

The stranger pulled a gun and demanded money, jewelry, and the car

keys from Ryan and Noel. She tried to convince the mugger that she

didn't have a purse, but he refused to believe her. Before I could

do anything, the youth fired his gun several times at Noel and

Ryan, then fled.

Noel's scream must have alerted MacLeod because he came running

out of the house. He immediately went to Noel and took her into

his arms. It was very obvious that she was dead. I failed to get

pictures of the event due to a mechanical problem.

Actually, there hadn't been any mechanical problems. He had even reached for his camera, but the look on MacLeod's face had been so raw with grief that the Watcher hadn't been able to take the picture. It had seemed too intrusive. There were some things that didn't need to be recorded for posterity. It was bad enough that Joe would never forget the look on the Highlander's face.

He tried to remind himself that what had happened that night could have happened to anyone. Mortals lost their loved ones all the time. As an Immortal, MacLeod knew that some day he would lose Tessa-assuming he didn't lose his head first. Still, he'd probably never expected it to happen this suddenly. They'd even planned on getting married-another first for the Scot.

Joe shook his head and turned back to the computer. He shouldn't let his emotions get in the way of doing his job. He just had to record the events of MacLeod's life.

Ryan also died from his gunshot wounds but, as expected by this

Watcher, he reawakened as a new Immortal (see Watcher report

#RR10231993). MacLeod admitted to Ryan that he'd known all along

that he would be an Immortal too. This was the first definitive

proof we've received that Immortals can sense those who have yet

to meet their first death.

Joe paused again, satisfaction filling him that he'd been right in guessing that Ryan would be Immortal. There just hadn't been any other reason for MacLeod to take in the young thief who had tried to rob the antique store. He'd have to see about assigning a Watcher for Ryan the first thing tomorrow morning.

He wondered if MacLeod would actually teach the new Immortal. Maybe he would send Ryan to his kinsman, Connor. Especially with Tessa gone now. The young Immortal would be a painful reminder of what MacLeod had lost that night. Still, it would give him something to concentrate on besides his loss. He'd have to wait and see.

I heard sirens approaching, as did MacLeod. He sent Ryan home on

his motorcycle before the police arrived so he didn't have to

explain the blood on his clothes. MacLeod gave the officers a

plausible story of coming to Wolf's house to look at some antique

swords, but no one had been home. While he'd been at the house,

the mugger had appeared and shot Noel. The officers went to the

house, but there was no response to their knocking. Fortunately,

they didn't attempt to enter the house.

I waited until they had taken Noel away in an ambulance and

MacLeod had gone with the officers to file a report. I got out of

my car, and walked around the block before 'arriving' home. I told

the officers that I had gone for a walk and had forgotten about my

appointment with MacLeod. They seemed to believe my story, and

left the scene.

I went into the house and found the remains of Pallin Wolf (see

follow-up renegade Watcher report). He had apparently lured

MacLeod to his home by using Noel as bait. A sword and night-

vision goggles were lying next to his body. He must have

maneuvered Immortals into a specially designed room where no light

could penetrate. My guess is that he played a game of cat and

mouse with Immortals before taking their head. A burned-out

matchbook may explain how MacLeod had managed to turn the tables.

If Wolf had the goggles on when the matches were lit, it would

have been almost blinding.

During a search of the premises, I discovered several other swords

-obvious mementos from other Immortals. Wolf's computer had a

password lock on it, so I was unable to retrieve any information.

I called for a clean-up crew. They will file a follow-up report on

Wolf's activities.

Joe Dawson Seacouver, Washington 10/1993

With a sigh, Joe saved the file, then sent it to the Watcher database system to be logged, glad to have that task done. He quickly typed in Ryan's first Immortal report and sent that, as well. Before heading to bed, he packed a suitcase. He had a feeling that he'd be on his way to France in the next few days. He was fairly certain that MacLeod would take Noel back to Paris for burial. It would be interesting to see if he kept the antique store after this. The Watcher didn't think he would. There would be too many memories there.

For the first time in a long time, Joe had no idea where his assignment would lead him. For the past fourteen years, MacLeod had been relatively easy to follow. Except for an occasional trip, he'd lived in either Paris or Seacouver. With Noel's death, there was nothing to hold him in either place. He could move anywhere in the world.

It was a Watcher's biggest worry. Either give up his assignment, or be prepared to move away from everything familiar. It couldn't have happened at a worse time. He'd been thinking about buying this place that would be just perfect for a blues club. It had been one of his dreams, and had seemed the perfect cover. Once the bar was started, he'd be able to take off at a moment's notice if he got a good manager. He wanted to be the one who got it started, but that could be in jeopardy now.

No matter what, it looked like there would be many changes to the lives of Duncan MacLeod, Richie Ryan, and Joe Dawson in the next few years.

Joe only hoped he was up to it.

The end.


End file.
